Quick-Write

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF LIFE?

What is my purpose here?

Where am I going?

Is life logical and ordered or just random?

Is there life after death?

True Story…

It’s January 4, 1960. A passenger (one of four) sits in a car being driven by a friend. Going at a relatively high rate of speed, the car (for no apparent reason) veers off the road and hits a tree.

True Story (continued)…

The passenger dies instantly; the other 3 walk away. This man was 46. He should have had decades of work, thought, experiences ahead of him.

True Story (continued)…

A railroad ticket found in his pocket indicated his being in the car that day was a last minute change of plans.

WHAT QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE DOES

THIS STORY RAISE?

The passenger was Albert Camus

The philosophy of absurdity

“The Myth of Sisyphus”

5 FEATURES OF ABSURDITY

Prezi on Philosophy

http://prezi.com/8ex379eyprft/modern-novel-the-stranger/

1. CENTRAL CONFLICT

Humans long for immortality but know death is inevitable.

Is it hard to imagine yourself dead?

2. MECHANICAL EXISTENCE Humans’ reaction: a mechanical life in

denial Obsessed by the future; miss the

present (all they really have) “Go through motions” as if they will live

forever In reality, life is very short

3. ILLOGICAL RANDOMNESS OF EXISTENCE

The world is not logical and ordered; much of life is random.

Humans seek answers where there are none.

Much of life cannot be explained, so humans become frustrated because they expect things to make sense.

4. HUMANS ARE ALIENATED

Self

Others

Nature

God

5. Solution: Only Hope?...Freedom

Since there is no ultimate victory over death, one has great freedom to act.

Social codes are irrelevant—one must feel what one feels,

Live in the present in solidarity with other humans who share your fate.

Life is worth living because it is finite.

ABSURDITY—20TH CENTURY

PHILOSOPHY

Why would this be popular? World deprived of illusions (atomic

bomb, world wars, holocaust, etc,) No certainty or hope—all morals

collapse—one experience is as good as another

All that counts is the present, the sensual, the concrete (no God)

Life has value if lived to the fullest accepting your fate (death)